It's the holidays in the office. It's time to get ready for bad sweaters, decorated cubicles and disconcerting "day after the party" stories. However, there are ways to enjoy the celebrations around the office without being a part of something that's discussed in your end-of-year review.

Commercial real estate forecasts are predicting more of 2011 for 2012: slow recovery with pockets of activity worthy of optimism.

The Urban Land Institute is reporting that much of what will take place in 2012 is the start of a shift toward tighter geographic markets, that is, less sprawl and more urban infill. Transit-oriented development will become a notable market draw and higher end space within those corridors will command the attention of office users.

News has surfaced after a recent white paper by The New Building Institute and Ecotope, an energy consulting firm, that commercial office tenants can have a greater impact on their energy costs than previously believed. More so, indicates the research, than initial building design.